This post is coming from a lurker of yours and many other PGC threads. I think your and Cuse's PGC thread have a lot of haters. And honestly, I think it is because people find it entertaining. I would say the poker strategy aspect of yours and his threads are a lesser aspect of why people come back to read. I think both you and cuse get very defensive at any criticism and therefore attract haters. And people like me read on the sidelines for the entertainment value. (Let me be clear, I think both you and cuse are actually both good poker players).

My guess is that it's just the way the interwebz work in that it fosters a lot of hating anonymously behind the keyboard (which wouldn't happen in real life face-to-face discussions). I do think it drags down far too many of the strat threads. I face the same hate with a lotta my strat, although admittedly I'm not crushing at crushing winrates (although I believe mine is perfectly acceptable for the conditions I play over a substantial size, but maybe I'm wrong). Not that I don't think people can't disagree, it's just that I wish it could be done with a bit more tact. But that's the interwebz, so I try not to take offense.

Regarding stat collection, I'm kinda with the recent poster a couple of posts back. I'm just not convinced this game (especially the live one) can be approached from a empirical stat-collecting point of view thanks to lol sample size / changing conditions / so much differences between tables / a single hand can skew things greatly / etc. Kinda think it's better to approach it from a theoretical standpoint, but often times that means we simply conclude "Is limping 55 at this table in EP profitable? *looks around* I mean, c'mon, it's gotta be, right? *shrugs shoulders* right?", although that seems like a super weak argument (but I'm not convinced we can do much better).

In the end, with everything we do, there will likely be hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people better at it than we are. But that's no reason to stop doing it if we enjoy it. And with regards to poker, thankfully most of those better people aren't playing at our poker table; we only have to be better than most of those sitting at our table and we can still win.

GgoodluckG

Your responses to "trolls" belie this statement. Too often your response immediately goes to win rates. I would say be less concerned about the trolls if it irks you that much. I think a lot of your lines lack fundamental understanding of poker theory but live is equally about reading people and I suspect you are better at that than nuts and bolts theory

Yup...posts on here about winrates mean nothing generally

Agree and a lot of Mike's frustrations come from his reactions to what he considers trolls or detractors. Ultimately if Mike isn't getting much out of it I'm not sure why he would continue posting. I could be completely wrong, but I think Mike enjoys the attention he gets in this thread (not trolling; that is just my read)

I don't have a problem with your poker skills but isn't part of the reason your winrate increased because you moved down in level?

It actually blows my mind how much hate you get ITT. Yeah some of the lines you take are occasionally "unorthodox" to the point where they may not be the most profitable route... And yeah your tendency to pathologically record details like adjusted winrates and various stats is certainly "unorthodox", but it is also very clear that you have an extremely good understanding of the games you're playing in and that you think about the games in the right way. IDK why people ITT are trying to swing their dicks so hard but imo be proud of what you've accomplished and continue doing what you're doing. Every hour you add to your sample is another fk you to the h8erzzzzzzzzzzz.

I didnt move down in level. I mean I did temporarily but I dont think thats what you mean. I had been playing 2/5 95% of the time with a bit of 5/10 thrown in when it ran. I went on a bad run and moved down to 1/2 to relax and practice some new plays. I massacred 1/2 and went back to 2/5 at the beginning of Nov and from that point on I have about 800 hours at just over $50/hr after a nice session today.

Ive got 1000 hours since Nov 1st at bit more than $50/hr including all stakes (some 1/2, some 5/10 and some short stack 5/10)

TY, Sir

I definitely dont enjoy the attention for attentions sake. If you notice I dont post here anywhere near as much as I did at the beginning. I also almost never post any HHs in the strat forum because I got fed up with "your lines suck and you cant possibly be winning" type responses.

Very good points. I understand that some of the stats that I track cant be relied on 100% due to sample sizes and a couple big hands skewing everything. I use it for a guideline mostly. I think the more you open up your game and play more LAGgy, the more you can run amok and start doing lots of things that are -EV in general and you could be losing lots of money doing it but not really even know it if you dont keep track somehow.

Here are some hands from today. Its Friday and there's a high hand promo. $1500 if you flop it. $1000 if you hit it on the turn or river. So there's plenty of fish at the Isle today.

1) This is the very first hand dealt to me. My chips arent even out of the rack yet. I open to $20 KsKd. The button and SB both call

Flop ($60) 9c8c4s. SB checks. I check. Button bets $50. SB calls. The button has $275 behind and the SB has $125 more behind. I crai.

Button calls. SB folds. We agree to run it twice. Button has AcJc and I win both boards.

2) 5 limps. I raise to $45 QcJs SB. UTG shoves $25 total. I didnt notice he was short but really dont care. Folds to the Cutoff who also calls. The cutoff and I are $750ish deep.

Flop ($130) Td9c8s. Yahtzee! LOL...I bet $55. She calls

Turn ($240) 8d. Hmmm. I suspect she has a pocket pair to overlimp and then call $45. She couldve boated up now. Shes seen me play some relatively wild hands compared to most players in my room (like raising $45 with QJ) so she knows I have a wide range. I wanst crazy about building a massive pot now that the board paired so I checked which may be a huge mistake. She checked back.

River ($240) 7d. I bet $150. She raises to $300. SMH. The board is paired and now the backdoor flush hits. This is 100% a value raise and never any kind of bluff, but villain is an fairly inexperienced player who doesnt think much past her own hand. I sigh call...she had JJ.

3) EP limps. I raise $30 KK and get 3 calls incl the limper.
Flop ($120) 667. Checked to me. I bet $60. It folds back to EP limper who has $100 behind. He hemhaws saying he doesnt believe I have anything. I ask him what he has and he says a small pp. He eventually shoves with 55.
Turn ($320) 8
River ($320) 9 and he wins.

4) UTG limps. I raise to $25 QhTs. Button and the limper call.
Flop ($75) QcTc4s. UTG checks. I bet $50. Button has $150 and calls. UTG crai to $185. I call...then the button calls. We all agree to run it twice

The main pot is $525. Side pot is $70.

UTG had Qs5s
Button has AsKs

First board is QT4J3
Second board is QT483 with 4 clubs. Nobody has a club so I win the 2nd board and button wins the first one with his gutshot.

5) Button opens $15. I call 9d7d SB. BB also calls. We are $1000+ effective
Flop ($45) KdQd4d. I lead $30. BB calls Button folds.
Turn ($105) Kc. I bet $80. BB calls
River ($265) 7c. I bet $175. He raises to $375. I cringe and fold.

6) I limp 4c4s EP. SB completes. BB raises to $25. I call and we go HU.
Flop ($50) 5c3c8c. He bets $20. I call
Turn ($90) 9h. He bets $40. I call
River ($170) 4d. He checks. I bet $100. He folds.

7) I limp 5h5d EP. Whale raises $20 in MP. 2 calls. I call
Flop ($80) Jd3c4h. Check around
Turn ($80) 5c. I check. Whale bets $65. LP calls. I cr to $165. Whale folds. LP calls
River ($475) 8d. I bet $200. He folds.

I won $1500 in 6 hours.

Ive been running really bad for quite a while but June has been treating me much better. Although I have 93 pocket pairs that saw a flop in June and have hit only 4 sets for a total profit (loss) with sets of -$65...Ive run hot in enough other areas that's the month is off to a sizzling first half.

Maybe English games are just really bad in general but you seem to be convinced your 2/5 games are the hardest to get action in yet in all your HH's people gii way lighter/for more than I ever really see in my games. Looks like it might be worth a trip to Florida...

Read the first part of my last post. There was a $1500/$1000 high hand promo and the fish were out in force yesterday. Same promo today. Hopefully the games will be as good again today.

I rarely post HHs from my reg filled daytime nitty games. They are too boring and not postworthy.

x just stumbled on this forum
I should have started one of these logs years ago but I'm to lazy

I also play more by feel and reads than strict math
its my belief that's what moves you up a notch or two
when in doubt rely on math otherwise play the player and situation.
my story reads similar to your 1st post here.
building my retirement house this summer so will be playing/ traveling less as I'm acting as the general contractor and the wife changes the plans 4 times a week.
will take time and read thru , thanks for posting.
I still use my same excel spreadsheets I started in 1999 to track my play
some day I'll organize it and start posting.
I do miss the $25-50 limit hold-em games on line as they were good for 2k a week checks rolling in.


oh and its because your living the dream and they aren't

Thanks buddy.

Button straddle. 2 EP limps. I limp 88 in MP. Next guy raises $25. Cutoff calls $25. The button makes it $100. Everyone incl Hero fold back to cutoff who calls.

Cutoff and button are about $850 deep. I covered both. Youll see why that matters in a second.

Flop ($245) J83. Cutoff checks. Button $200. Cutoff cr to $500. Button shoves. Cutoff calls.

Cutoff somehow has AA
Button has KK

Turn A
River 8.

I got a sick feeling watching a **** ton of chips being pushed to the cutoff. I think most likely if I call the $100 (which Im basically never doing anyway), the cutoff probably repops it anyway....but Sheesh! That wouldve been a nice pot.

I once folded TT in the final 2 tables of a decent sized field MTT (maybe 15 or so left). I opened in LP, BTN 3b, tightest guy at table rips from BB. IIRC I had less than 40BB left. I folded. They get it in and have KK vs. AA.

Flop T obv...gross but correct fold

sick hand bruh

Incorrect snark

lol wp

But how could the fold have been correct if you would have flopped a ten

Correct


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I'm out of town for a few days. Ive played 16 hours at this little poker room in Naples and my cards have been so bad you wouldnt believe me if I told you how few hands Ive played. Ive shown my cards a grand total of 4 times in 16 hours. What do you do when your cards suck so bad that you want to pull your hair out? Start 3 betting lite and taking down pots

1) Whale starts to limp but then raises to $20. Hes done this twice before and has had small pps both times. He gets 3 calls. I 3 bet to $120 in the BB with J8s and take it down.

2) Last orbit a guy raised to $15 in MP after a limper and showed down JT. Hes raised to $20 with premiums. He does it again. He raises to $15 in MP after a limper. The guy to his left calls. I 3 bet to $75 with A8s and take it down.

3) A guy raised to $30 with 22 a few orbits ago. He raises to $30 OTB after a limper. SB calls. I 3 bet to $120 with 53s in the BB and take it down.

4) I limp AQ UTG. MP limps. Same guy from HH3 raises to $25. BB calls. I reraise to $120 and take it down.

There were 2 more lite 3 bets that I cant remember right now. Not once did I get called.

Sometimes you just have to manufacture some profit.

Here's my only nice pot in 16 hours.

5) UTG Asian kid opens $20. I call in MP KcJc. Fish calls in the BB
Flop ($60) Kh8h4c. Checked to me. I check back.
Turn ($60) 7s. BB check. UTG $40. I call and BB calls.
River ($180) Ks. BB check. UTG $55. This looks to me like he has QQ/JJ. I dont think he can put me on a K after checking the flop back so I think he will call a raise here. I raise to $165 trying to make it look like I missed a FD. BB folds. UTG calls and mucks.

Play online obv

Last night I had a completely drunk maniac on my direct right (worst position IMO). Every hand he would throw out $20-$50 and say "Lets gamble". I was afraid to call raises with a lot of hands in fear of getting reraised behind me and I didnt get much in the way of premiums so I was barely able to play a hand.

Here are the few I played.

1) I limp JJ UTG. 3 more limps. Maniac raises to $30 BB. I 3 bet to $100. He calls HU
Flop ($215) Qc7c3d. He checks. I bet $100. He calls.
Turn ($415) Ks. He shoves. Its $300 to me and I snap call. He had T8 and hes drawing dead.

2) 4 limps. For the first time since I sat down he doesnt raise. He completes the SB. I make it $50 QQ BB. Everyone folds. I was in shock.

3) Maniac raises $35 in MP. I just call this time with JJ. 2 more calls.
Flop ($140) 874. Maniac bets $75. I raise to $300. Everyone folds.

4) Maniac $20 in EP. I call KsJs. 2 more calls.
Flop ($80) Jd2d2c. Maniac $35. I call HU
Turn ($150) 9d. Maniac $100. I call
River ($350) 5d. Maniac shoves $900. I fold. He shows Qh8h.

He overbet shoved like that over and over and over. Stacks were getting deep so they were big bets. He was in the game for $2000 and had gotten up to $1800ish. He was down to about $1400 when this hand knocked him out.

UTG $20. 2 calls. Maniac makes it $60. UTG makes it $160. Folds back to maniac who calls.

Flop ($360) T63. Maniac check/calls $300.
Turn ($660) 8. Maniac shoves $900. UTG calls KK. Maniac had A9. LOL He misses and UTG wins the prize that the whole table was praying for.

Earlier I folded KT to a raise. Flop KT6. I also folded Q9s to a raise. Flop A99. I wouldve won huge pots against the maniac both times but because of my position I was pretty much handcuffed.

I ended the session up $300 after a couple hours.

Here's a fun hand from today...

3 limps. I limp 5c4c in MP. 2 more limps and then the button raises to $15. The entire world calls.

Flop ($105) 7c3c7s. Checked to the button who bets $55. It folds back to me. The button is a whale. Its pretty unlikely he has a 7. He may or may not fold an overpair to a check raise, but he probably doesnt have a big overpair anyway after raising to $15 after a ton of limpers.

I check raise to $200. I can definitely have a 7. Next guy folds but then the cutoff shoves all in for $430ish. Button folds. Clearly he has a 7 but its an easy call with a FD and gutshot. I call.

We agree to run it twice and then he tables his hand. He has 73. WTF? Really? 73?

I have 1 out and hit the 6c on the river for the straight flush and a $400 high hand. Obviously I lose the 2nd board and we chop the pot.

That's the first 1 outter Ive ever hit (that I know of)